We have been talking about loneliness when you are abroad, let's now talk about how to make friends (locals or expatriates) when you're living in the Michigan

Which are your best tips to meet people and to make friends in the Michigan??

Thanks in advance for your participation

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tanteela

Member

Member since 21 August 2010

Novi

tanteela

21 August 2010 17:48:16

1 post

tanteela

21 August 2010 17:48:16

#2

1 post

Novi

According to my experience the best way to meet people and make friends is to join a club or join the meet-up.com. There you will find all sorts of people with the same interests. I had a hard time finding friends and my best friends are people who moved here from other countries. It it difficult to make friends with Americans as they have a different lifestyle. Friendship as known by Germans is hardly possible. My best friend is German and lives in Dearborn, MI.:

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2

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FeeAcer

ViP

Member since 06 August 2009

Siem Reap

FeeAcer

22 August 2010 06:21:09

6172 posts

FeeAcer

22 August 2010 06:21:09

#3

6172 posts

Siem Reap

Welcome to Expat.com, Tanteela

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expatriatetaxreturns

Active member

Member since 25 February 2011

Bingham Farms

expatriatetaxreturns

03 August 2011 20:43:15

38 posts

expatriatetaxreturns

03 August 2011 20:43:15

#4

38 posts

Bingham Farms

I would say by going out and meeting people is always a great way. Go to restaurants and get to know your surroundings and meet friends along the way!

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salsavage

salsavage

10 October 2012 03:58:34

0 posts

salsavage

10 October 2012 03:58:34

#5

I m hosted in Palmer Woods>>I would like you to show me Detroit and even night life...>>>>would be nice>>>>thanks

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LauraWebber

New member

Member since 05 January 2013

Detroit

LauraWebber

05 January 2013 17:11:59

6 posts

LauraWebber

05 January 2013 17:11:59

#6

6 posts

Detroit

I agree with Tanteela: Meetup.com is by far the best bet. I would add to this the suggestion that you do NOT join only Meet UP groups for expats. Don't get me wrong: join expat Meet Up groups by all means. But ALSO join other groups that have nothing to do with expats, and everything to do with something ELSE you enjoy, like writing or knitting or clubbing.

I would also suggest doing things like joining a religious community (finding a Church, Temple, Synagogue, etc.).

Taking classes is another great way to meet people. You can find classes via your local library, community center, and Community College. I can say from experience that Oakland Community College (OCC) is relatively cheap per credit hour, and an excellent experience.

Arguably the best way to make friends is by volunteering. There are TONS of local charities, fundraisers, etc. Churches will often have volunteer opportunities, and you don't always have to be a member to participate. There are also a ton of things like homeless outreach programs (St. Al's, the food bank, Focus: Hope, etc.) that need volunteers from the public to keep going. Doing a search in Yahoo or Google should give a ton of results. Also, volunteer groups tend to be very open and very, very friendly: everyone is there to help out, and is doing something good, so it puts everyone in a real good mood.

As someone who's lived in Michigan her whole life, I can tell you it's very difficult to strike up a friendship with a total stranger at a place like a restaurant or club. Our culture just doesn't work like that; it's expected that if you go to a social place like a club, you'll be there with your friends and for the most part won't be looking to make new ones. That's why I suggest doing the things above: it's MUCH easier to make friends when you all already know you have a common interest, and are NOT expected to have already showed up with your friends.

I hope all this helps!

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HaileyinHongKong

ViP

Member since 28 December 2010

Hong Kong

HaileyinHongKong

07 January 2013 17:53:49

4723 posts

HaileyinHongKong

07 January 2013 17:53:49

#7

4723 posts

Hong Kong

Tip #1: Don't call it the Michigan.

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thompy4578

thompy4578

03 February 2013 06:45:59

0 posts

thompy4578

03 February 2013 06:45:59

#8

Ms Dubai..

I was so excited to see this website. I'm glad there are people here that are on the same boat.. I've only been here for 3 months and I can't explain the depression I went through especially during the winter. The weather change coming from a hot country to a cold country and trying to make new friends. Any advice is highly appreciated Merci

My wife is from Singapore, and we live in Utah.. also very cold right now! There are so many different answers to give to your question. Allow me to touch on one..

One by-product of the cold, is that you do not see the sun as much, as it is usually covered over by clouds this time of year. Keep yourself in brightly-lit areas as much as you can (simulating sun light). Another possibility is to go to bed early, so you wake up early and that way you are exposed to as much sun as possible.

As a fellow new-comer to this group, welcome!

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HaileyinHongKong

ViP

Member since 28 December 2010

Hong Kong

HaileyinHongKong

03 February 2013 19:58:02

4723 posts

HaileyinHongKong

03 February 2013 19:58:02

#9

4723 posts

Hong Kong

Sorels & choppers will help with the cold.

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Usama .N

Member

Member since 01 September 2014

Minnesota

Usama .N

01 September 2014 18:30:23

1 post

Usama .N

01 September 2014 18:30:23

#10

1 post

Minnesota

Hi there , Michigan is really nice its full of arab people , i was in dubai such an amazing city full of live never sleeps ,I'm here to make new friends and share knowledge about Michigan and opportunities of work ..

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sarahsahil82

Member

Member since 05 January 2010

Michigan

sarahsahil82

07 October 2014 22:36:51

1 post

sarahsahil82

07 October 2014 22:36:51

#11

1 post

Michigan

its kind of difficult to find friends here ,but still internet is good source and local community events and religious fellowships can bring some good friends .....

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